International Day of Climate Action

Participate in global awareness events on the International Day of Climate Action—and invite others, too!

Photo Courtesy 350.org

Want to get involved in climate change action? Here’s your chance. This Saturday, October 24, is the International Day of Climate Action. In cities all across the world, concerned citizens are grouping together to raise awareness of the climate crisis and the dangers of ignoring global warming. Leaders of the movement are hoping that the events will help world leaders realize the urgent need for a change as we enter the final months leading up to the UN Climate Negotiations in Copenhagen in December this year.

The events will highlight the importance of the number 350, which scientists say is the number (in parts per million) that is the safe upper limit for CO2 in our atmosphere. Unfortunately, we have already exceeded this number; the current CO2 count in the atmosphere is 390 ppm. Experts have said that unless we can rapidly return to 350 ppm, we risk reaching irreversible tipping points, such as the melting of the Greenland ice sheets and major methane releases from increased permafrost melt.

So far more than 4,000 events have been scheduled in 170 countries around the globe. In Bangladesh, school children will plant 350 trees, scientists will hang banners bearing 350 on the statues of Easter Island and 350 divers will dive underwater at the Great Barrier Reef. At each event, participants will gather to take a photo that somehow depicts the number 350 and upload the photo to 350.org. Once all the pictures are in they will be linked together to form one giant visual petition to deliver to the media and world leaders.